


6 May, 1909 :: Flight

by schwertlilie



Series: White Flags [16]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Aviation, Gen, Historical, Silver Dart
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-07
Updated: 2012-10-07
Packaged: 2017-11-15 20:21:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 653
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/531304
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schwertlilie/pseuds/schwertlilie
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Six years since the Alaskan Boundary Dispute, and Matthew & Alfred are still trying to work things out. When Alexander Graham Bell's work group's airplane, the <i>Silver Dart</i>, goes to Canada, Matthew sees an opportunity to make things better with his brother. </p><p>(Can be read as pre-ship or brothers.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	6 May, 1909 :: Flight

_6 May, 1909 :: Washington DC, USA :: the beginning of aviation_

"Matt, it's awesome!" Alfred spread his arms wide, as if encompassing not just the lunch room but the whole sky beyond it. "People are _flying_ , right here in America! They're getting off the ground and _everything_!"

"I did catch that much, you know." Matthew pointed at his brother with his fork, a breach of manners that Arthur would have boxed his ears for.. if he hadn't been busy with his diplomats, having kicked Canada out of its own foreign trade meeting.

"But you don't _get it_. If you did, you'd be as excited about this as I am."

"Have you flown one yet?"

" _God_ , no." His mouth twisted as he stabbed at a piece of potato. "Can't risk me getting hurt on some fool's adventure, now, can we?"

"But you've gotten to see them, then? I've met Bell, but he's only been working with kites on my side of the border." 

"He's so cool, isn't he? But yeah, I've been to some of the distance trials. Did you hear about Bell's _June Bug_ making the first one mile flight?"

"Mm. You told me, remember?"

"Oh. Sorry." He scratched the nape of his neck, looking embarrassed. 

"Don't worry about it." It's been a long time since you've been this relaxed around me. "I like hearing about it."

"Okay. Hey, did you hear that they're moving the _Silver Dart_ up into you? Up to that island I took over those times, what's it called..."

Matthew realised he should be offended by this, especially considering what Alfred had done with Alaska and Cuba, but he.. wasn't. "You mean Cape Breton?"

"Yeah, that's the one!"

"You had Arthur's guidance, and you weren't even at the battlefield."

"How can you say that? Is Nova Scotia telling you stories about me again?"

"Neither." He prodded Alfred's sock with his shoe. "So the _Silver Dart_?"

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

_23 July, 1909 :: Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada_

"Keep your eyes _closed_ , Alfred."

"But Matt, I can't _see_."

"That's the point." Dirt crunched beneath the soles of his shoes as Matthew led his brother down the road. "It's not a surprise if you see it before you get it."

"But I came all the way up here without knowing, that's gotta count for something, right?"

Matthew snorted, and squeezed Alfred's hand; Alfred squeezed back.

They drew alongside their goal, and at a nod from the pilot Matthew let go. "Okay, you can open them."

He watched Alfred's eyes fly open, then squint in the summer sunlight. "What's this- The _Silver Dart_?" 

McCurdy smiled. "Didn't expect you to recognise her from the wings, Mr. Jones."

"Are you kidding?" He ran his hand reverently over the silk. "Not many are silver, and _definitely_ not any others in Canada."

Matthew poked his brother's side. "You've been keeping tabs on me?"

"Nah, just your airplanes."

"So," he said, drawing out the word while the pilot watched Alfred touch the plane, "are you going to look at it all day?"

"Damn straight. She's a fine piece of engineering."

McCurdy smiled, raised an eyebrow at Matthew; Matthew shrugged. 

"And waste Mr. McCurdy's time, when I arranged for him to take you up in her?"

Alfred froze, gaze jumping from one man to the other before settling on Matthew. "You what?"

McCurdy coughed. "The _Dart_ is scheduled to perform the first passenger flight in Canada, and I told Mr. Williams I needed a passenger. He suggested you." 

"You did that," Alfred said. " _You_ suggested me? But I'm-"

Matthew cut him off. "My flight-crazy brother?"

He smiled, the stepped forward, wrapped his brother in a hug. "Thank you," he whispered into Matthew's ear.

Then Alfred pulled away and started chattering to McCurdy about gears and wheels and flight speeds, but Matthew couldn't bring himself to mind. If he could still make Alfred smile, then maybe they could build something out of their mess yet.

**Author's Note:**

> The [Silver Dart](http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/silver-dart) was the first heavier-than-air, powered machine to fly in Canada. Designed by a joint Canadian-American team, under the supervision of Alexander Graham Bell, the "aerodrome" flew first in New York and then was shipped to Canada. The first Canadian flight was February 23, 1909, piloted by J.A.D. McCurdy, who also piloted the first passenger flight in Canada. The plane was damaged during test flights for the Canadian military at Petawawa, August 1909, and never flew again.


End file.
